Tikhonov S.S.  

Archaeological microregions as an indicator of the settlement system

ABSTRACT. The paper considers two options for the system of resettlement of people in different natural and geographical conditions. The first of them can be called microregions. It is characterized by the location of settlements near a large river at the most convenient places for living, and they are located at a considerable distance from each other. The author believes that this is the most ancient, primary system of development of territories. The second system can be called linear. Its characteristic features: the almost complete population of the territory, the formation of chains of closely adjacent settlements, the presence of large settlements near rivers, and smaller ones far from them. According to the author, this happens when new groups of non-hostile people constantly come to the occupied territory. At the same time, old-timers have to crowd, and large villages form in the initially occupied places. Those who did not have good places do not occupy the most convenient areas. This is a secondary settlement system in which ancient features can be seen: the predominance of villages near rivers and their large numbers in comparison with the population in them. In the event of an outflow of population, small villages in relatively uncomfortable places disappear first. Is it possible to extrapolate these essentially ethnographic data to archeological materials? The author believes that this is possible with the correct methodological and methodological justification.


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